Five meal myths that need to be shelved

Some additional tips on my contribution to the article for how to make healthy pizza:

1. Control your ingredients by cooking at home.
2. Go vegetarian or opt for lean proteins like turkey or chicken instead of high fat, high calorie pepperoni, sausage and beef.
   
3. Go "lite" on the cheese (avoid varieties with over 30% MF) and remember that a portion is just 1oz.
   
4. Unprocessed foods are a healthier option as a general rule so avoid choosing processed (marbled, softer, pre-shredded) cheese and pick hard, smelly brands to top your pizza.
5. Load up on the veggies! Peppers (green, red, yellow, orange), mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and onions are all good options...and don't forget that spices are fat and calorie free!
   
6. Use low sodium tomato sauce to reduce your salt intake. 
7. Make your own whole grain dough from scratch or try cutting a whole wheat pita in half. The thinner the crust, the better.
   
8. If ordering out, (it's still OK once in awhile), Panago is a good option as they now offer a multigrain thin crust dough along with fresh salads. 
   
9. Always add salad whenever possible and choose greens over caesar. You can modify your caesar and cut out tons of fat and calories by trashing the croutons and subbing the creamy caesar dressing for a vinaigrette.
   
10. Remember that just because you've made some healthy substitutions doesn't mean you can eat an entire pizza. Overeating on ANYTHING will trigger fat storage in the body.

So there you go, it's pizza for dinner tonight :)